Regulatable lighter valve



June 7, 1966 R. L. BURCHETT ETAL 3,254,511

REGULATABLE LIGHTER VALVE Filed July 29, 1964 2 SheetsSheet 1 /34 Z INVENTORS Pm BUPCHETT J'oHN R Saw United States Patent 3,254,511 REGULATABLE LIGHTER VALVE Ray L. Burchett, North Bergen, and John P. Sain, Union City, N.J., assignors to Jacques Kreisler Manufacturing Corporation, North Bergen, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 29, 1964, Ser. No. 385,894 11 Claims. (Cl. 677.1)

Our invention relates to a regulatable lighter valve and more particularly to an improved valve for gas lighters which has independent factory and user adjustments.

There are known in the prior art various forms of burner valves for lighters employing liquefied gas as a fuel. In operation of a lighter comprising a burner valve of the type known in the prior art, in response to operation of a thumbpiece or the like, a shut-off valve opens to permit expanding gas to escape from the burner. Further in response to operation of the thumbpiece or the like, a flint wheel rotates to strike a shower of sparks from the flint toward the burner opening.

One of the defects of lighters of the prior art is the lack of any adequate synchonization between the release of gas and the arrival of the shower of sparks at the burner mouth to ignite the gas. It will readily be appreciated that if there is no gas escaping from the burner mouth when the shower of sparks is struck, then no light will result. In order to avoid this occurrence in the prior art, the valves are so constructed as to ensure the presence of gas at the burner mouth at the time of arrival of the shower of sparks. While lighters of the prior art have incorporated this feature, another highly undesirable result has arisen. That is, there is such a large amount of gas escaping in advance of the arrival of the sparks at the burner mouth that a puff of flame is produced upon ignition of the escaping gas. The undesirable and potential danger to the user from this puff will readily be appreciated. "Many efforts have been made in the prior art to overcome this problem. They have been universally unsuccessful.

Another difliculty which has arisen in connection with lighter valves of the prior art is a relatively wide varia-.

tion in flame height owning to changes in temperature. In one attempt to overcome the problem of flame height variation in the prior art, it has been suggested that the burner valve assembly be provided with user-operated means for regulating the height of the flame. This attempt has not proved satisfactory for a number of reasons. First, where the regulation is entirely under the control of the user, it often becomes maladjusted requiring repair. Secondly, the adjustment provided to permit the user to adjust flame height is disposed adjacent the burner mouth in a position at which it is exposed so as to be accessible to the user. While it is readily accessible, owing to the fact that the actuating element is exposed, it readily becomes maladjusted when being carried in the pocket and the like. For this reason it may well be that a much larger flame than the user expects is produced when the lighter is operated and possible injury to the user is present.

Another defect of adjusting mechanisms of the prior art is their lack of sensitivity and the difliculty which is experienced in adjusting the flame to the desired degree. That is, the adjusting operation in adjustable valves of the prior-art is so delicate as to be extremely difficult.

We have invented a regulatable lighter valve which overcomes defects of regulatable valves of the prior art. Our valve ensures that the emission of gas from the burner mouth and the arrival of the spray of sparks at the mouth of the burner is synchronized so that while a flame is always produced, the undesirable puff generated Patented June 7, 1966 by mechanisms of the prior art is avoided. We provide our adjustable valve with independent means for permitting a preliminary maximum adjustment during manufacture and a separate user adjustment for regulating flame height within the maximum set at the factory. We so locate the actuating element of our valve that it cannot readily become accidentally deranged. We so construct the user adjusting mechanism that a relatively large mechanical movement is required to produce 'a fine adjustment, so that the adjusting operation is greatly facilitated.

One object of our invention is to provide .a regulatable lighter valve which ensures that a flame always is produced while avoiding the undesirable puff generated by regulating valves of the prior art.

Another object of our invention is to provide a regulatable lighter valve in which the emission of gas from the burner and the arrival of sparks at the burner month are closely synchronized.

A further object of our invention is to provide independentily operable factory and user adjustments for controlling flame height.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a regulatable lighter valve wherein the user adjustment is not normally exposed.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a regulatable lighter valve wherein a relatively large mechanical motion is required to produce .a fine adjustment.

Other andfurther objects of our invention will appear from the following description.

In general our invention contemplates the provision of a regulatable lighter valve having a gas expansion chamber disposed between a factory adjustment valve and a user adjustment valve to ensure an adequate supply of gas at the burner mouth for ignition. We provide a resilient connection between the actuating mechanism and the shut-off valve to delay the valve opening to ensure synchronization of the escape of gas with the arrival of sparks at the burner mouth to prevent puff. Our valve assembly has a factory maximum flame height adjustment and a differential screw user adjust for regulating flame height within the maximum. Our user adjustment actuator normally is concealed by the outer housing so as not to be'accidentally operated.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a gas lighter provided with our regulatable valve with parts shown in section. FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lighter shown in FIGURE 1 illustrating the details of our regulatable lighter valve with the parts in their closed position.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lighter shown in FIGURE 1 illustrating our regulatable lighter valve with the valve open.

Referring now to the drawings, we provide a gas lighter indicated generally by the reference character 10 with our regulatable lighter valve indicated generally by the reference character 12. The lighter 10 includes a gas-tight liquefied gas fuel supply reservoir made up of a lower shell 14 and an upper shell 16 partially telescoped into the lower shell 14 and retained in assembled relationship therewith by a boss 18 or the like disposed in a recess 20 in the bottom shell 14. These shells 14 and 16 are provided with a gas-tight seal in any suitable manner known to the art, as by brazing or the like.

The upper shell 16 receives a top plate shell 22 slipped over the upper shell 16 so that bosses 24 on the upper shell 16 are located in recesses 26 in the top plate shell 22. A flint feed tube 28 extends through a sleeve 30 assembled in fluid-tight relationship with the upper and lower shells 14 and 16 making up the gas reservoir. The upper end of the tube 28 receives a flint guide 32 through which a length 34 of flint extends into engagement with the flint wheel 36. We thread the upper end of the tube 28 on the lower end of the guide 32 to clamp a top plate 38 and the base 40 of the actuating mechanism support between a flange 42 on the guide and the upper end of tube 28.

Base 40 pivotally receives the lower end of a link 44 pivotally connected at its other end by a pin 46 to the thumbpiece 48 of the lighter. A spring 50 extends between a lug 52 intermediate the ends of the link 44 and a pin 54 on a side wall 56 carried by base 40. Spring 50 normally urges the link 44 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1. A bushing 58 supported on the side wall 56 and another side wall on base 40 rotatably supports the flint wheel 36 and the snuffer 60 of the lighter.

The flint feed mechanism of the lighter on which We have shown our valve is described in detail in the copending application of Ray L. Burchett, Serial No. 183,521, filed March 29, 1962. The construction of the actuating mechanism of the lighter 10 is shown and described in detail in the copending application of Ray L. Burchett and Kurt Speck, Serial No. 252,109, filed January 17, 1963, now Patent No. 3,180,116. As is disclosed in the copending applications, in response to actuation of the thumbpiece 48, a pivotal connection provided by pins 62 between the thumbpiece and the snufi'er and a one-way clutch mechanism (not shown) cause the snutfer to be rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in the figures and concomitantly rotate the flint wheel 36 to strike a shower of sparks from the wheel.

The valve assembly indicated generally by the reference character 12 comprises a housing 64 disposed in an opening 66 in the top of the upper shell 16 and extending downwardly and through an opening 68 in the bottom of the lower shell 14. Any suitable means, such as brazing or the like, provides a gas-tight seal between the housing 64 and the openings 66 and 68.

The main pressure reducing valve of our assembly comprises a sealing disk 70 resting on a shoulder 72 formed in the housing 64 intermediate its ends. An opening 74 in the wall of the housing 64 adjacent the plate or disk 70 permits the flow of liquefied gas from the reservoir formed by shells 14 and 16 into the housing 64. A sealing ring 76 disposed between the plate 70 and a shoulder 78 in housing 64 below the shoulder 72 prevents the flow of fluid downwardly through the housing.

We dispose a pair of filter disks 80 formed of a suitable material such, for example, as paper, between the disk 70 and a pressure plate 82. An upper pressure plate 84 disposed Within the housing is adapted to urge plate 82 downwardly to exert pressure on the disks 8 0. We dispose a sealing ring 86 in a recess formed by the plates 82 and 84 to contain the flow of fluid between the wall of housing 64, sealing ring 76 and the said sealing ring 86.

From the structure thus far described, it will be apparent that fluid under pressure flowing into the housing 64 through the wall opening 74 is constrained to pass through the filters 80 disposed in the space between disks 70 and plate 82. We provide the plate 82 with a central bore 88 through which fluid emerging from the space between disk 70 and plate 82 may flow upwardly into an expansion chamber 90 formed by a recess in the upper surface of plate 82. A bore 92 permits fluid from the chamber 90 to flow upwardly through the plate 84 to the second pressure reducing valve of our assembly.

The second pressure reducing valve includes a resilient member 94 disposed in a recess 96 in the upper surface of plate 84. Member 94 has a central opening 98 through which fluid can flow to the burner to be described.

We provide our assembly 12 with a main valve actuator 100, the lower end of which is threaded into the upper end of the housing 64. A shut-off valve guide 102 disposed between the lower endof the actuator 100 and the upper surface of plate 84 is adapted to transmit pressure between these two members. We provide the actuator 100 with a flange 104 which may, if desired, be knurled to permit the actuator to be turned at the factory to provide the factory adjustment.

From the structure thus far described, it will be apparent that when the actuator 100 is turned in a direction to move the actuator into the housing 64, this pressure is transmitted directly through the guide 102 through the upper and lower pressure plates 84 and 82 to the filter disposedbetween the lower plate 82 and the disk 70 supported on shoulder 72. It will be understood that all of the parts 100, 102, 84, 82 and 70 are rigid while the filter paper 80 is compressible. Thus, as the actuator is turned into the housing, the flow of fluid permitted through the filter paper 80 will be reduced until ultimately it can be shut off entirely. In practice, this adjustment is made at the factory to provide the desired maximum flame height within which maximum the user may adjust the flame height in a manner to be described.

The actuator 100 has a bore 106 which slidably receives the burner 108 of our valve assembly. Burner 108, in turn, has a bore 110 in which we dispose the shut-off rod 112 of the shut-off valve of our assembly. A spring 114 extending between a shoulder 116 and a peripheral flange 118 on the rod 112 normally urges the rod and the burner to move away from each other along the axis of the opening 106 in the actuator 100.

It will be appreciated that in the normal position of the parts of the lighter with which our valve 12 is associated, spring 50 normally urges the snuifer 60 to a position at which it overlies the burner 108. We provide the plate 38 with an opening 120. When the snuffer 60 is moved away from the opening 120, spring 114 urges burner- 108 upwardly to extend through the opening and gas under pressure acts against the spring 114 to move rod 112 away from orifice 98. When the snuffer 60 again moves back over the opening 120 it engages burner 108 and through the medium of spring 114 moves the rod 112 downwardly until its lower end engages the member 94 to close opening 98.

As is pointed out hereinabove, the member 94 forms -an element of our user-adjust pressure regulating valve.

We provide the lower end of housing 64 with internal threads of a predetermined pitch which are engaged by external threads on a user-adjust actuator 122. Actuator 122 has a knob 124 on its lower end which permits actuator 122 to be turned into the housing. Internal threads in a bore 126 in actuator 122 receive the lower threaded portion 128 of a user-adjust valve rod 130, the upper end of which cooperates with orifice 98 to regulate the flow of fluid from the chamber 90 through the orifice 98. It will be appreciated that rod 130 extends through the sealing ring 76, through a bore 132 in plate 70, and through bores 88 and 92 to the orifice 98. A slot 134 in the lower end of the threaded portion 128 permits initial factory adjustment of the position of rod 130. The threads on actuator 122 and the threads 128 on rod 130 both are either right-hand threads or left-hand threads.

We provide the portion 128 with threads having a pitch which differs from the pitch of the external threads of the actuator 122 so that a relatively large rotary movement of the actuator is required to move rod 130 through a given distance. We provide a third sealing ring 136 disposed between the top plate 38 and the top plate shell 22 around the portion of the housing 64 extending above the shell 22 to prevent any back flow of gas.

As has been explained hereinabove, the'actuator 122 and the portion 128 of the rod 130 are threaded so as to have different pitches so that a relatively large rotary motion of the actuator 122 is required to produce a small 128 may be 72 pitch thread or a pitch of 0.01389 inch.

With this specific arrangement, one revolution of the actuator 122 produces only 0.00174 inch of motion of the rod 130. If a single threaded element were required to produce this motion, it would be necessary for the element to have 574 threads per inch. Alternatively, the inner portion 128 might have an 80 pitch thread or a thread with a pitch of 0.01250 inch. If such were the case, then one revolution of the actuator 122 would produce a motion of 0.00313 inch. This motion corresponds to 319 threads per inch. It will readily be apparent that threads which would be the equivalent of the motion produced by our differential screw arrangement are substantially impossible to produce as a practical matter.

In the manufacture of our regulatable lighter valve, before the top plate shell 22 is assembled on the reservoir, the flange 104 is turned to adjust the valve provided by w the filters 80 between pressure plate 82 and disk 70 to give the desired maximum flame height. This of course is achieved with the rod 130 having been moved away from the orifice 98 to permit the maximum flow of fluid therethrough. When this has been achieved, the rod 130 is positioned with relation to the actuator 122 by a screwdriver or the like engaging slot 134 so that adjustment of the flame by the user is within the maximum provided by the filter 80. When these operations have been achieved, the top plate shell 22 is assmbled on the upper shell 16, the sealing ring 136 is placed around the portion of the housing 64 extending above the shell 22, and the flint tube and other operating parts are assembled. When this has been done, the outer casing 138 is slipped over the reservoir so that its upper edge abuts the periphery of the top plate 38. The lighter is now ready for use.

In use of a lighter incorporating our regulatable lighter valve, in the normal position of the parts shown in FIG- URE 2, snufler 60 engages burner 108 and through the medium of spring 114 urges rod 112 down into engagement with the member 94 to close the orifice 98. With the parts in this position, fluid flows through opening 74, through the filter 80 and through the space between bore 88 and rod 130 into the chamber 00. This chamber stores suflicient fluid to ensure that there is available at the time of sparking sufficient gas at the mouth of the burner 108 for ignition.

When the lighter is to be operated, thumb-piece 48 is depressed to lift the snuffer 60 and to rotate spark wheel 36 to strike a shower of sparks toward the mouth of the burner. When the snuffer 60 is lifted in the manner described, spring 114 immediately urges burner 108 upwardly with relation to the top plate 38. At the same time the fluid in chamber 90 expands to urge rod 112 upwardly. Spring 114 delays the opening of orifice 98 slightly to synchronize the emergence of the expanding gas from the mouth of the burner 108 with the arrival of the shower of sparks at the mouth of the burner to prevent any undesirable pufI.

It will readily be appreciated that the position of rod 130 with relation to the member 94 regulates the flow of fluid between the end of the rod and the member 94 to control the flame height within the maximum height permitted by the valve comprising the filter 80. If for any reason the user wishes to adjust the height of the flame, he removes the outer cover 138 to provide access to the knob 124. If he wishes to reduce flame height, he turns the knob in a clockwise direction to move the member 122 into the housing 64. The frictional engagement of the sealing ring 76 with rod 130 prevents the rod from turning with the actuator 122. Owing to this fact, as the actuator moves into the housing, the rod 130 is backed off with relation to the actuator by a distance determined by the pitch of the thread on portion 128. As has been explained hereinabove, the pitch of portion 128 is less than that of the outer threaded portion of the actuator 122 so that the over-all movement of rod 130 in response to the operation described above is an inward movement determined by the difference in pitch of portion 128 and the external threads of actuator 122. Since a relatively large rotary motion of actuator 122 is required to produce a small displacement of the rod 130, a very fine adjustment may be made in a rapid and expeditious manner. If desired, of course, actuator 122 can be operated to shut the valve completely. On the other hand, if it is desired to increase flame height, actuator 122 is turned in a direction to move the actuator out of the housing to increase the flame height to any height within the maximum factory adjustment.

Having adjusted the flame to the desired height within the factory maximum,.the user replaces the outer casing 136 to shield the actuator 122 from accidental operation.

It will be seen that we have accomplished the objects of our invention. We have provided a regulatable lighter valve which provides independent factory and user adjustments. Our regulatable lighter valve always produces a flame while ensuring against an undesirable puff. It accurately synchronizes the arrival of the shower of sparks at the burner mouth with the emergence of expanding gas from the burner mouth. Our va'lve permits a fine adjustment by the user of flame height within the factory set maximum in a rapid and expeditious manner. The user actuator of our regulatable lighter valve normally is concealed so as to avoid any accidental and undesired adjustment thereof.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of our claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A regulatable valve assembly for a gas fueled device having a reservoir containing a supply of liquefied normally gaseous fuel, which gas is heavier than the atmosphere, and a burner communicating with said reservoir through a passage including in combination, a first adjustable pressure reducing valve disposed in said passage, a second pressure reducing valve disposed in said passage, means forming a chamber between said pressure reducing valves, differential screw means for actuating one of said pressure reducing valves, means forming a seat in said passage between the first valve and said burner, a valve adapted to engage said seat, a spring between said valve and said burner, a snutfer cap adapted to engage said burner, means biasing said snuffer cap to burner engaging position, said biasing means exerting a greater force than said spring, a housing for said reservoir having an upper wall spaced from said reservoir, said upper Wall being formed with an opening through which said burner extends and an annular seal positioned around said burner adjacent said opening to prevent unburned gas from flowing into the space between said reservoir and said housing.

2. A regulatable valve assembly for gas fueled device having a fuel reservoir with a top wall and a bottom wall including a combination, a housing extending through said top and bottom walls, a shoulder formed along the length of said housing and an opening for admitting fuel to said housing, a first valve comprising a pressure plate and compressible material disposed between said shoulder and said plate, means carried by said housing for constraining gas from said reservoir to flow through said first valve, an actuator mounted in the top of said housing for movement relative thereto with a portion of said actuator extending out of said housing, means for transmitting pressure from said actuator directly to said pressure plate, a second valve comprising means forming an orifice disposed above said first valve and an element adapted to cooperate with said orifice to regulate flow therethrough, said element having threads thereon, and a bushing have internal threads adapted to engage said element having external threads, said housing having threads for engaging said bushing external threads, said internal and external bushing threads being of different pitch whereby a relatively large movement of said bushing is required to produce a small movement of said element.

3. A regulatable valve for a gas fueled device having a reservoir containing a supply of normally gaseous fuel and a burner connected to said reservoir by a passage, including in combination a first adjustable pressure reducing valve disposed in said passage, a second adjustable pressure reducing valve disposed in said passage, means forming a chamber between said pressure reducing valves, differential screw means for actuating one of said pressure reducing valves, means forming a seat in said passage between the first valve and said burner, a valve adapted to engage said seat, a spring between said valve and said burner, a snuffer cap adapted to engage said burner and means biasing said snutfer cap to burner engaging position, said biasing means exerting a greater force than said spring.

4. In a gas fueled device having a snuffer cap, a first spring normally urging said cap to closed position, a reservoir for holding a supply of normally gaseous fuel, said reservoir having a wall, a burner extending through said wall in a location for engagement !by said snuffer cap, a

housing forming a passage from said reservoir to said burner, means mounting said burner for movement in said passage, a shut-off valve seat in said passage, a shutoff valve adapted to engage said seat, means mount-ing said valve in said passage below said burner for movement toward and away from said seat, and a second spring between said burner and said valve for urging said burner and valve apart, the force of said first spring being greater than the force of said second spring whereby to compress said spring to hold said shut-off valve on said seat.

5. In a gas fueled device, a reservoir for holding a supply of normally gaseous fuel, said reservoir having a top wall and a bottom wall, a burner extending through said top wall, means forming a passage from said reservoir to said burner, an adjustable pressure reducing valve disposed in said passage, said valve comprising a manually operable actuating element extending through and beyond said bottom wall, and a readily manually removable outer casing carried by said reservoir for housing said element to render said element inaccessible.

6. A gas fueled device including in combination a reservoir for holding a supply of normally gaseous liquefied fuel, said reservoir having a top wall and a bottom wall, a valve housing extending through said top and bottom walls, a burner at the top of said housing, said housing providing a passage for the flow of fuel from said reservoir to said burner, a flow regulating valve comprising means forming an orifice in said passage and a threaded rod adapted to be moved toward and away from said orifice to regulate the flow of fuel therethrough, said housing having internal threads adjacent the bottom thereof, a

bushing having external threads and having internal threads, said bushing disposed in said threaded housing portion with said threaded rod in engagement with said bushing internal threads, means accessible from adjacent said bottom wall for rotating said bushing and means for restraining said rod against rotation with respect to said housing in response to rotation of said bushing.

7. A gas fueled device as in claim 6 in which said passage providing means comprises a housing wall portion having an opening below said valve orifice and in which said restraining means is a seal between said rod and said housing, said seal being located below said wall opening.

8. A device as in claim 6 in which said bushing internal and external threads are of different pitch.

9. A gas fueled device including in combination a reservoir having a top wall and a bottom wall, said reservoir adapted to hold a supply of normally gaseous fuel, a housing in said reservoir, said housing providing a passage for fuel from said reservoir through said top wall, a burner mounted on said housing adjacent said top wall for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, a snufier cap mounted for movement between actuated and released positions, means responsive to movement of said cap between its positions for moving said burner between its positions, a first on-oif valve in said passage below said burner responsive to movement of said burner to its extended position to permit flow of fuel to said burner and responsive to movement of said burner to its retracted position to prevent flow of fuel to said burner, a second adjustable pressure reducing valve in said passage and a third adjustable pressure reducing valve in said passage, said third valve comprising an actuating element extending through the bottom wall of said reservoir.

10. A device as in claim 9 wherein said second adjustable valve comprises an actuating element extending through the top wall of said reservoir.

11. A device as in claim 9 including means forming a chamber between said second and third adjustable pressure reducing valves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,948 5/1954 Gehrie 677.1 2,737,037 3/1956 Zellweger 677.l X 2,804,763 9/1957 Russell et a1. 677.1 2,836,044 5/ 1958 Zellweger 677.l X 2,895,318 7/1959 Zellweger 67-7.1 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 912,597 12/1962 Great Britain.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

LLOYD L. KING, Examiner. 

6. A GAS FUELED DIVICE INCLUDING IN COMBINATION A RESERVOIR FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OF NORMALLY GASEOUS LIQUIEFIED FUEL, SAID RESERVOIR HAVING A TOP WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL, A VALVE HOUSING EXTENDING THROUGH SAID TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, A BURNER AT THE TOP OF SAID HOUSING, SAID HOUSING PROVIDING A PASSAGE FOR THE FLOW OF FUEL FROM SAID RESERVOIR TO SAID BURNER, A FLOW REGULATING VALVE COMPRISING MEANS FORMING AN ORIFICE IN SAID PASSAGE AND A THREADED ROD ADAPTED TO BE MOVED TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID ORIIFICE TO REGULATE THE FLOW OF FUEL THERETHROUGH, SAID HOUSING HAVING INTERNAL THREADS ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A BUSHING HAVING EXTERNAL THREADS AND HAVING INTERNAL THREADS, SAID BUSHING DISPOSED IN SAID THREADED HOUSING PORTION WITH SAID THREADED ROD IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BUSHING INTERNAL THREADS, MEANS ACCESSIBLE FROM ADJACENT SAID BOTTOM WALL FOR ROTATING SAID BUSHING AND MEANS FOR RESTRAINING SAID ROD AGAINST ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID BUSHING. 